The mock-up area is a focal point of the facility and is used as a working environment
to promote spontaneous interaction of product and process integration. Various styles and
past model years of the product are positioned in this area which is devoted to the study,
evaluation, and evolution of product function and design. By including previous models in the
development space, the designers are directly in touch with Harley-Davidson's history and iconic designs -
honoring the motorcycle's past heritage as they are designing future models.
As part of an effort by Harley-Davidson to patent the iconic sound of their motorcycles,
an anechoic chamber was designed into the Product Development Center. This chamber allowed the client
to efficiently record the distinctive rumble caused by the pistons and connecting rods in Harley-Davidson's
motorcycle engines, replacing the need to transport the motorcycles to be recorded at a test track in Florida.

World-class facilities for a world-class brand

CERTIFICATION
LEED Certified

Harley riders don't just want transportation to get from one place to another. They want thunder,
roar, and rumble when they rev up the engine. They want a riding experience.

One of the most recognized brands in the world, Harley-Davidson knew that to stay at the
forefront of the industry, they needed to enhance communication and collaboration among the company's
engineering, styling, and developmental purchasing groups in a central location. They needed world-class
facilities to painstakingly develop the world's best bikes.

It is more than just a building. It is an environment that supports the myriad activities that result
in new and improved products from the company whose name defines “motorcycle”
around the world. The dramatic roofline evokes the curving image of a motorcycle fuel tank.
Skylights, much like raw engine parts, rhythmically penetrate the roof and invite the sun in.

Inside, product planners dream, designers conceptualize, mechanics build prototypes, and engineers
test new designs in a state-of-the-art lab. There is even a “jury room”
where Harley riders judge the rumble of each new motorcycle.

The focal point of the building is a mock-up area placed within the curved roof canopy that
soars in the daylight. Various styles and past model years of motorcycles are displayed for the study,
evaluation, and evolution of the product. Strategically located next to the engine assembly plant, this
facility bridges the gap between design, engineering, and manufacturing.

Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

“Cycling is one-on-one with nature. This building has the same feeling. People are closer;
flow of information is expeditious; information is a step away instead of in another building.”